1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for determining if a urine specimen is fresh and unadulterated and for preventing tampering with the urine specimen after it has been collected.
2. Description of Related Art
Drug use is generally recognized as a significant contributory factor in the current rise of accidents. Employers, government organizations, and others are increasingly using drug-screening and freedom from drugs as conditions of employment. There are three major problems. First, the collection and testing of urine samples must be simple and cost-effective. Second it has been felt necessary to monitor the taking of urine samples to guarantee the integrity of the test results. Third, the testing aspect, especially coupled with monitoring, has raised concerns about possible invasion of privacy. Accordingly, a need is recognized for a urine sample collector that is simple, straightforward, minimizes the invasion of an individual's privacy, and maximizes the integrity of the sample of urine taken. On Monday, Apr. 11, 1988, the Federal Government issued its final guidelines on Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs in Volume 53, No. 69 of the Federal Register, pages 11970-11989.
The prior art discloses a few urine measuring devices incorporating a temperature sensor therein. Perhaps most relevant of that group is U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,299 entitled Body Liquid Temperature Measuring Device issued to Joel R. L. Ehrenkranz who is also the inventor of the device described in this disclosure. A chemical melting point thermometer is located in the bottom of the urine collecting receptacle. The primary purpose of the invention is to determine when a human female is close to ovulation.
The patent literature also describes devices, in very different contexts, which employ spill prevention devices in urine collecting embodiments. The purpose of those devices is to prevent spillage after the urine is collected and prior to its being destroyed. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,568,218 and 4,457,314 disclose anti-spill devices in two different types of urine collectors. The device in U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,314 is described as an "anti-back flow mechanism" and is employed only to prevent spillage of the contents. Other U.S. Pat. Nos. that disclose mechanisms for the purpose of preventing spillage include: 3,928,875; 4,059,124; 3,586,041 and 3,734,154.
Another class of urine collectors involve those designed to collect mid-stream urine samples. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,494,581 discloses a mid-stream urine collection device which describes, in FIG. 7 thereof, a mechanism in which a floating cork closes a flap after an initial sample of urine has been obtained so that the remaining specimen to be collected will be from the mid-stream. Other possibly relevant mid-stream urine collection devices include those described in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,064,760; 4,221,295 and 4,569,090.
Lastly, the following U.S. Pat. Nos. are cited as being of only general possible relevance: 4,396,113; 4,211,749; 4,443,896 and 4,466,445.
Insofar as understood, none of the prior art addresses the problems inherent in a drug testing program where the drug sample collecting device has to be virtually tamper-proof, easy to use, and maintain the individual's right of privacy.